Latanya Sweeney

Associate Professor of Computer Science and Public Policy, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University

Latanya Sweeney is a pioneer in a new area of computer science called data anonymity, which is the study of computational solutions for releasing data such that the data remain practically useful while the identities of the subjects of the data are not revealed.

As part of her pioneering effort, Dr. Sweeney has developed computer systems that de- identify individual database records to provide scientific assurances that no one can be re- identified. Some of her patented technologies have been launched into commercial practice to help companies share information under the new U.S. medical privacy regulation known as HIPAA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act).

She also founded the Laboratory for International Data Privacy at Carnegie Mellon University which works with stakeholders to solve a wide array of pressing real-world privacy concerns. Latanya Sweeney is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Technology and Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. She earned her PhD in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her undergraduate degree in computer science from Harvard University.

Dr. Sweeney has received numerous awards and commendations, including the American Psychiatric Association's Privacy Advocate Award.

In addition to numerous scholarly publications, Dr. Sweeney's ground-breaking research in data privacy has been featured in Consumer Reports, Newsweek, Newsday, Business Week, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as on the television news magazine 20/20.

Dr. Sweeney is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) and the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI).